Final Reflection

At the beginning of the year it was difficult to get used to the new style of school. College is very different from high school and so are the classroom settings and schedules. It was harder to transition than I had anticipated, so that was a little surprising and stressful. As the year went on it got easier and a little less overwhelming. In my opinion, it was overwhelming to have every assignment told to you from day one and you think how am I going to get all of this done. That is part of the transition to college, but it was different than what we were used to. While the days passed by, in the end I realized it really wasn't even that bad or stressful than I made it out to be. Continuing out through the year it started to feel normal. I really enjoyed the final documentary project. It didn't feel like a final because it was amusing and about a topic that I am very passionate about. Although I changed my topic last minute, it caused a little extra work to make up for all of the sources and work we had already done throughout the semester, but it was worth it. I was starting to get tired of talking about my sorority and having almost the same presentation as multiple people in the class. I wanted something different and more unique but still fascinating to the majority of people. I like how this final project let us use our creativity to make a documentary about anything we chose.
All in all, despite a little bit of a rough start, I have really enjoyed being in this class. It made me grow as a student and become accustomed to a new way of learning. This class also made me aware of many issues in society and locally. It was very eye-opening.

Blog 8: Storyboard

Olivia Giese

WRD110-055

Jennifer Hudgens

November 17^th, 2015

Architecture Studio Culture

To open the architecture studio culture documentary video, I am planning on starting with a black screen and the open credits. The music will start playing. I am using a part of the song When the Streets Have No Name by U2. The music will play the words in the song and the first part of the credits will start with the name of the documentary. To create an intense opener, I may have a voice overview with a man’s deep, strong voice to catch the attention of the audience and viewers. I want a very dramatic opening because the architecture career field is very intense and as I have experienced, they do not hold back anything. Professors are on the go from day one and it comes on full force. After the documentary title, pictures of studios, classes, and students and faculty will come into effect with an overlay or words containing the title of the song and artist that will appear, followed by the name of the person recording the voice over. When the voice over comes on, the words of the song will fade away to just the karaoke version of the song. As of right now, the voice over is going to be my own voice. The words will appear in a neutral color, not drawing too much attention away from the display which holds the main importance of the documentary. There will not be a voice over view, besides the opening title, until a live interview plays on the screen. I am going to record one of my friends from my studio class, Lauren Mitchell, live and play it in the video. As you watch the interview in the documentary you will hear her own voice saying the following information to you and the music will fade away. To credit her and prevent confusion of the viewers, her name will be in the corner of the screen. The interview will last about one minute. Lauren is a sophomore at the University of Kentucky, but a first year architecture student. She is majoring in Architecture with a minor in Spanish and is enrolled in 19 credit hours. She was previously a fine arts major and I previously asked her a few questions on November 11, 2015. I personally asked her, “What kind of classes are you taking this semester? Do you consider your classes/major a community that you are part of?  Why or Why not? How many people to do you  know on a more personal level in your classes? Professors? What are advantages and disadvantages of studio culture vs. a standard classroom setting? Which do you feel is more beneficial to 

your education?” She replied, “I am taking three architecture classes, a 3 credit hour class, a 3 credit hour studio, and a 3 credit hour studio class (12 credit hours), 1 UK core class (3 credit hours), and 1 language class (3 credit hours) for my minor (totaling in 19 credit hours). I do not consider the core classes much of a community but the classes that are related to my architecture major and Spanish minor yes. Especially the ones regarding Architecture because we spend so much time together. Each semester I have had the same people in my Spanish classes so we have built relationships and architecture classes will be the same way. We just started and we are already all really good friends. In my architecture class I do not know an exact number but I at least know 15 or more people pretty well. This does not just include our studio class either, but like upper years and professors as well. I do not know anyone in my core class. In my Spanish class, I probably know like 3 or 4 people well. I do not know my Spanish professor very well. I think it is an advantage that you get to know everyone so well in studio life and because you get to spend so much time together. Even outside of school the Architecture world is small so it is like you have already started networking and some of your classmates could easily be potential coworkers. I think that studio life is better for your education because I was a fine arts major last year and even though we spent almost the same amount of time in studio as we do in architecture, we did not get our own stable studio desks or anything. We shared desks with other people where as in architecture it is solely our own, so we did not spend as much time with the same people therefore you did not get to know very many people. It is not as tight of a community as architecture is and you feel a lot more involved in architecture than you do in other classes.” This interview is very important to the  documentary because it shows personal experience and non biased opinion. It also shows a different point of view other than myself. In my opinion it is the best source of information because the audience can hear and see first hand someone saying the information that they are being told. What Lauren states is also very true in regards to other students and their experiences including my own. Online there are multiple sources talking about the life of an architecture student and the adjustment to studio life that comes with it. The interview will fade out and more pictures of places and different architecture studio projects that students have made will play on the screen with music in the background. There will be a voice overview as well, telling information about the studio culture that architects are talking about. The information is so important to come off strong because it is so different than most expect or think it would be like. Studio culture is one of those things that you don’t know what it is like until you experience it yourself, so one of my goals is for my audience to get a glimpse of what it would be like and experience it because very few have. I  am planning on having another interview in the video that will ask about how studio life compares to what you expected it to be like, if they like it, if they prefer it over general education  classes, why or why not. This other interview will fade in as the video, pictures, music, and voice over fade out. Christian Anthony will then appear on the screen in the documentary with his live interview video . I asked another one of my studio mates, Christian Anthony, in an interview these questions and this is what he replied with, “Before coming to college, I did a lot of research on what the life of a studying architect looked like. Many students described the lifestyle as never ending work. Others described the countless painstakingly slow hours during all-nighters. Some also commented on the unbearable stress associated with finishing a model before a final review. While I have seen all of these statements hold some level of truth, one thing that each student never failed to mention was the robust atmosphere of studio life. Each day as architecture students we are placed in a studio beside similar goal orientated individuals, for hours as a time, who seek to challenge the creative limits of their mind and as a result, challenge others. It is here, more thanks in any of my other classes, that I feel a passion to progress the depth and intensity of my studies. Not only for my personal pride or a mark of merit, but to progress and refine our culture.” Christian is a freshman at the University of Kentucky and is a first year architecture student. When watching his interview, his name will be in the bottom corner for clarification. This interview is very well stated and contributes to the point I am making in my video. After the interview,  the voice over will come back on stating the following information about the architecture education process and studio culture as well as the background music of a portion of the karaoke version of the song Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect. Studio life is clearly not easy, and is harder than most classes through all the hard work and dedication. But it betters us as students and designers. A design studio is a unique educational model where a class of about 15 students produce creative design solutions for problems posed by the studio professor. Architecture has three main guiding principles: creativity, community, and commitment. In each of these come three sub-topics. Creativity includes imagination, dialogue, and individual development. Some of the goals of an architecture student are to discover, imagine, and create. Working through your imagination, there are not necessarily wrong and right answers. Instead, it is a process of critical thinking to produce new design and inventive solutions that leads to discussion and creative action. As ideas are pretty open ended, it leaves room for discussion between the students and professors. The faculty help guide and critique the development of models that the students propose their ideas  through. The professional expertise and feedback is very important to students. You definitely seek individual development as studio helps students find their own creative voice within the discipline of architecture. You develop ways to communicate your ideas not only verbally but physically as well. You also develop an individual response and point of view of architecture. In this way the studio experience shapes the contributions of the students to the profession of architecture in the future. The community aspect has already been touched on some, but there is more to it than just what was previously said. There also comes ethics, collaboration, and balance. Through a lot of criticism and critiquing, students learn to be able to maintain a positive attitude and outlook on their ideas and designs. Questions and comments are meant to extend the critical thinking process and enhance ideas. A  baseline of collaboration is established between students and faculty members. Lastly is commitment. Design studio requires the highest commitment from students, faculty, and administrations. Because of all of the overlapping commitments that come along with this job, it is essential for students and faculty to recognize the importance of time management and the setting of priorities with clear  guidelines and expectations. Students are expected to treat architecture in the same manner as they would a job. Attendance is critical and mandatory. Most professors result an unexcused absence in a lowered grade or even as far as failure in a class. It also is very important to put their best effort into their work and the appropriate amount of time to develop their designs. Quality of time spent on studio work contains higher precedence than quantity. Time management is key, and most students will generally find themselves working four times as much longer than they anticipated to in order to complete their work. Procrastination is a huge risk in the architecture field. A deadline is mandatory, and they try to prepare you for that because in the future it is not acceptable for your progress to not be on track or complete by a deadline. Standards are held very high to the students as well as the faculty and administration. Faculty are required to fulfill their obligations in terms of total required hours of teaching, and they should make every effort to limit the cancellation or change in class times to once or twice in a semester, in order to limit conflicts with non-studio classes or other activities. Any class that is cancelled is highly recommended to be rescheduled and made up. Class time holds a very high importance in the education of architecture and is taken very seriously.  The administration is committed to ensuring that the studio environment fully supports the mission. The environment should be safe, comfortable, and technologically sophisticates to support the interests of faculty and students. As the commitment standards are held so high, there are times that students are scrambling to finish a big project in time and with that comes a long many wild and crazy stories that I am sure you think of when you hear the word architecture. The sleepless nights and countless hours of work put into your projects can hit you hard as a student. There are some who talk about how this habit in studio life can affect the health and wellness of students. As the documentary comes to an end, the display fades out into a black screen with rolling credits in white text. The song Architecture by Jonathan Thulin will play in the background until the credits are over. The credits will include mainly the bibliography: all music and artists, voice over, interviewees, the sources of information, where the pictures came from, actors, editor, video maker, and the program used to make the video.

                    

Bibliography

"Studio Culture Policy." Pratt Institute. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. 

<https://www.pratt.edu/academics/architecture/architecture-about/studio-culture/

>.

"7 Ways to Transform Studio Culture & Bring It into the 21st Century." ArchDaily. 12 June 2014. 

Web. 16 Nov. 2015. <http://www.archdaily.com/515146/7-ways-to-transform-studio-

culture-and-bring-it-into-the-21st-century>.

Mitchell, Lauren. "Studio Culture vs. General Classroom Setting." Personal interview. 11 Nov. 

2015.

Anthony, Christian. "Expectations of Studio Life." Telephone interview. 16 Nov. 2015.

"School of Architecture." Royal College of Art. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. <http://

www.rca.ac.uk/schools/school-of-architecture/>.

Personal Photographs

Thulin, Jonathan. Architecture. The White Room. The KLF, 2012. CD.

U2. When The Streets Have No Name. The Joshua Tree. 1987. CD.

The Decembrists. Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect. Castaways and Cutouts. 2002. CD.

Blog 7: Reflection on Process

So far, my experience creating the documentary and story board has been different then I expected because I decided to change my community to the different styles of education that a general student experiences vs. a student majoring in design/art experiences. I have taken pictures, interviewed some classmates, and found some information on the difference between classrooms and studio life and it is really interesting to see the opinions of different students and teachers. I don't know if one is necessarily "better" because you could argue either way. I have planned to have active interviews in my documentary along with some comparison pictures. I am thinking the main information will be a voice overview rather than writing on the screen. One of the main challenges for me is to keep the topic and documentary intriguing to the audience. A documentary could easily be boring for those who lack interest, especially with a unique topic that not everyone may be interested in. I plan to have   a good overview and maybe music or something to help prevent boredom as well as information of people who they can relate to and not just me talking about studio life.

Blog 6: Secondary Source 2

"Image 28 of Kentucky Alumni." Sesquicentennial Edition, 2015 (2015): 26. Kentucky Digital Library. 2015. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. <http://kdl.kyvl.org/catalog/xt7ksn011p3r_28>.

 
To summarize this journal, a vote was taken in 1893 to allow fraternities on campus. Kappa Alpha and Sigma Chi chapters were the first to begin at the University of Kentucky by the end of 1893. Fourteen years later, the first sorority was introduced to campus, Alpha Xi Delta. The Photo in this journal specifically shows a social gathering at Sigma Chi during the academic year of 1937-38. Fraternities and sororities have provided social engagements and recreation on campus since early history of the University of Kentucky. This is still true today, but with even more awareness of the importance of giving back to the community as many members participate in various service organizations.
 
This journal holds importance within my community because it talks about fraternities/sororities starting on campus. There was a process to get fraternities and sororities started and now there are 47 different ones on campus and over 5,000 individual members. ("Fraternity & Sorority Affairs." Fraternity & Sorority Affairs. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2015 <http://fraternitysororityaffairs82160.orgsync.com/home>.)

Blog 5: Secondary Source 1

Girls Hug during Sorority Rush, 1969. 1969. Part of University of Kentucky General Photographic Prints, circa 1900 - 2005, Lexington, KY. Kentucky Digital Library. Web. 20 Oct. 2015. <http://kdl.kyvl.org/catalog/xt75736m0s6q_229_35>.



This secondary source is a picture of two sorority girls hugging during Rush week in the 60's.
This picture comes to show the feeling of acceptance, friendship, and sisterhood that you have on Bid day. Like I have said many times, Rush is one of the most stressful weeks, but in the end it is so worth it. You get to see why everything worked out the way that it did and become a part of a new community with instant connections and experience the bonds of sisterhood. As cheesy as it sounds, the emotions you feel that day are indescribable. The happiness and joy is overwhelming as your dreams are filled because you are now a new member of a cultivating sorority that brings many benefits to better you academically, socially, and mentally through leadership, service, and scholar.

Final Rough Draft

Olivia Giese

Jennifer Hudgens

WRD 110-055

October 12, 2015

Photo Essay: Kappa Alpha Theta

Growing up I always thought of the typical stereotypes that were associated with greek life. It wasn't until I stayed with my sister and experienced it first hand that I thought about if I wanted to join a sorority. When I rushed and joined Kappa Alpha Theta, I realized all that greek life entails. Sororities have five basic benefits: sisterhood, scholarship, leadership, philanthropy, and socializing (Benefits, Panhellenic Association, p. 1).

One of the instant connections I had with Theta was the genuineness of the girls and coming in as you were and being accepted. I instantly felt their support and like I belonged in their community. This picture to the right is on Bid Day, when I joined Kappa Alpha Theta. This was the start of welcoming my pledge class into the sorority; 90 girls from all over the U.S. It sounds cheesy, but instantly there is a bond with your new sisters that is like no other. You go from knowing hardly anyone to becoming so close with girls who are now your sisters, to find your best friends, support system, and bridesmaids. There is always someone to do something with or talk to; you are never alone. There has already been many instances to show that Theta sisters are always there to help, talk, cry, and laugh. This day contains every emotion; one of the best days of our lives. Even so shortly after, it brings smiles upon us to relive that moment of overwhelming joy. Becoming a part of the Kappa Alpha Theta community has made a home for so many of us. As I interviewed a girl in my pledge class, Halle Fodor, I asked her , “What made you decide to go theta?” She answered, “The first day of recruitment I immediately fell in love with the welcoming environment and it felt like home. Throughout the week I saw myself becoming a new member of Kappa Alpha Theta” (Fodor, Interview). A huge issue for young women today is the feeling of rejection or not fitting in. The diversity of this group of girls ranges and together we are all a family. The feeling of acceptance and belonging was a reassurance that I wanted to make Theta my home.

Being in a sorority encourages you to serve others with acts of kindness. Many people think that sororities and fraternities are up to no good, but there is so much more to them then social life. Each sorority/fraternity holds philanthropy events, Theta’s being Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Over the last 25 years, we have stood for  CASA to make a positive impact in the lives of foster children (Kappa Alpha Theta, p. 1). We also support other philanthropy events of other organizations through participating to raise money for their cause. The picture on the left is from Kappa Delta and Beta’s event, Bring It On. It is a big cheer competition that gets everyone involved whether you are on your squad representing your sorority/fraternity or just cheering them on. All proceeds go to the organization that they support as well as a certain percentage of proceeds goes to the philanthropy of the winners of the event. This next picture on the right is another example of attending fundraising activities to supports service organizations. While having a fun time, we still get to put our time aside and sacrifice for others in need.

Along with friendship and fun, being in a sorority provides opportunities to learn and get involved. All Greek groups have a standard of excellence based on ideals, purposes, principles, and values as they help you reach your goals (Benefits, Panhellenic Association, p. 1). Kappa Alpha Theta sets guidelines with certain academic involvement like maintaining above a certain GPA. They provide tutoring and mentor studying to help support  you academically. Scholarship is not the only thing they focus on, but also morals and values. Theta also provides activities like weekly Bible studies and such, for people to stay involved and support them in their beliefs. To the right, this picture is an example of getting to go on the CSF Fall Retreat with some of my friends in Theta and other Greek organizations. I also asked Halle Fodor as I interviewed her, “How does a sorority push you to better yourself?” and she replied, “Kappa Alpha Theta really pushes everyone including myself to become a successful individual. We have certain qualifications to meet such as, maintaining good grades above at least a 3.0 GPA and participating in community service and philanthropy events. I have truly become a better person because of what theta strives to represent” (Fodor, Interview)

Another benefit of Greek life that a lot of people don't realize is its future networking. It provides many internships and job opportunities both in and out of college. It looks great on your resume, especially if you hold an executive or chair position. All of the community service, volunteering, and involvement is a huge booster as well. "How has Kappa Alpha Theta or sorority life in general impacted your life?" “I’ve been able to get more involved on and off campus more than I would’ve without being in a sorority. They have not only shown me what the true meaning of sisterhood is, but I know the friendships that I’ve made will last a lifetime” (Fodor, Interview). Sorority membership lasts a lifetime. After college days are over, alumni women continue to stay involved in the local chapters and serve (Benefits, Panhellenic Association, p. 1).  In the beginning you become a part of Kappa Alpha Theta, but in the end you become a part of it.

 Bibliography

"Kappa Alpha Theta - CASA." <i>Kappa Alpha Theta - CASA</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. <http://www.kappaalphatheta.org/learnabouttheta/philanthropy/casa/index.cfm?from=InThisSectionPage&gt;.>

"Benefits of Joining A Sorority." <i>Benefits of Joining A Sorority</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. <http://www.sapanhellenic.org/index.php?page=benefits-of-joining-a-sorority&gt;.>

Fodor, Halle. "Kappa Alpha Theta." Personal Interview. 01 Oct. 2015.

937 Words

Blog 4: Primary Artifact 2

I interviewed one of my sorority sisters, Halle Fodor.  I asked her the questions below and attached her responses under them. This is a primary source that can be used in my paper to show another perspective of someone who went through a similar experience that I did. We are now adjusting to Kappa Alpha Theta together and many of us can testify to the experience I have previously explained. Interviews are personally one of my favorite types of sources because it shows what other people are thinking or feeling and provided different perspectives for the reader, causing it to be more convincing that you are hearing from more than just one person.

Interview: Halle Fodor

What made you want to join a sorority?

“Prior to attending the University of Kentucky I knew absolutely no one, so joining a sorority allowed me to not only stay busy but develop new friendships.”

What made you decide to go theta?

“The first day of recruitment I immediately fell in love with the welcoming environment and it felt like home. Throughout the week I saw myself becoming a new member of Kappa Alpha Theta.”

How has Kappa Alpha Theta or sorority life in general impacted your life?

“I’ve been able to get more involved on and off campus more than I would’ve without being in a sorority. They have not only shown me what the true meaning of sisterhood is, but I know the friendships that I’ve made will last a lifetime.”

How does a sorority push you to better yourself?

“Kappa Alpha Theta really pushes everyone including myself to become a successful individual. We have certain qualifications to meet such as, maintaining good grades above at least a 3.0 GPA and participating in community service and philanthropy events. I have truly become a better person because of what theta strives to represent.”